Escape

iTunes Review

San Francisco’s Moon Duo — much like guitarist/vocalist Ripley Johnson’s other band, the Wooden Shjips — are the embodiment of churning, trance-inducing psych-rock. Keyboardist Sanae Yamada plays riffs just as droning and relentless as Johnson’s, and together they create rhythmic, sensual music that is surprisingly engaging. While an eight-minute track like “Motorcycle, I Love You” might seem daunting, in truth it feels like a pop song dipped in a little late-night debauchery. Yamada’s warm keyboard riffs on “Stumbling 22nd St” are gloriously sinewy and undulant, and the song ends too soon at nearly seven minutes. Propelling these tracks — and much of Moon Duo’s music — is a quintessentially ‘60s dance beat, with crunchy snares and shimmering cymbals or tambourines offering themselves as the anchors around which everything else loops. Aptly titled, Escape offers an entrancing getaway, straight into the ether. Those unfamiliar with Krautrock — a major inspiration here — should check out the band Neu! for starters.